The story of john henry legend


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John Henry (folklore)

Folklore character

"The Ballad of John Henry" redirects here.

The story of john henry legend

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    • For the album by Joe Bonamassa, see The Ballad of John Henry (album).

    John Henry

    John Henry illustration by Roy E. LaGrone (1942)

    Born1840s or 1850s
    OccupationRailroad worker
    Known forAmerican folk hero

    John Henry is an American folk hero.

    An African American freedman, he is said to have worked as a "steel-driving man"—a man tasked with hammering a steel drill into a rock to make holes for explosives to blast the rock in constructing a railroad tunnel.

    The story of John Henry is told in a classic blues folk song about his duel against a drilling machine, which exists in many versions, and has been the subject of numerous stories, plays, books, and novels.[1][2]

    Legend

    According to legend, John Henry's prowess as a steel driver was measured in a race against a steam-powered rock drill, a race that he won only to die in victory with